The study examined the consumption of potatoes in 4,400 people aged between 45 and 79, over the course of eight years. After that time, 236 people had passed away.

Crisps are also included in the list of potentially dangerous foods.

An aricle for CNN reported that lead author of the study and scientist, Dr. Nicola Veronese, explained, "even though most of us may have assumed that fried potatoes could be unhealthy for us, there is "very limited" scientific data on this issue."

These kinds of studies can be complicated as the article continues, "The study is observational, meaning the researchers simply tracked the behavior of a group of people and found an association between one behavior -- eating fried potatoes -- and another factor -- early death. Because it is an observational study, Veronese and his co-authors note it cannot be said that eating fried potatoes directly causes an early mortality -- it would require more research to draw such a firm conclusion."

Similarly, as Food & Wine explains, "For now, the link is merely an association, and more research with larger groups of people is needed to investigate the link before saying that overeating fries causes an increased risk of death."

It should also be noted that it's not every type of potato is listed as potentially harmful. It was only when researchers looked at fried potatoes in particular that a link was drawn. This category includes "french fries, potato chips, hash browns".

The study concluded that if people were eating fried potatoes at least two times per week, it more than a doubled the risk of death. On the other hand, boiled, baked and mashed potatoes did not seem to have any such cons

So you don't necessarily have to cut potatoes out of your diet entirely. They can be a good source of vitamins, potassium, and fiber when prepared correctly, so it's just a matter of getting the balance right!

Researchers believe there is a link between eating "french fries" and mortality.